Reactions IIby Kerr Cuhulain
In 2003 I wrote my first Reactions article to mark the first anniversary of my Witch Hunts column. I wanted to show you all what reaction my Witch Hunts column had created out there. I figure that it’s time to give you all another update, now that my new book based on these articles has come out.

I’d like to thank the many well wishers who have taken the time to write to me over the years. It has certainly motivated me to continue. The majority of these are Pagans, but a surprising number come from Christians who thank me for uncovering the frauds amongst them.

Investigators of hate crimes have taken an interest in my Witch Hunts articles. I was invited to do a presentation on Witch Hunts to over 200 police officers at a hate crimes conference at the Justice Institute of BC in September 2004, and this has led to interest from other agencies as well. The curious thing is that every time that I’ve ever done a presentation for an all-police audience at least one police officer has come forward from the crowd and revealed themselves to be Pagan. This JIBC presentation was no exception.

Some e-mails that I receive are police officers looking for accurate information or for assistance in solving cases. A typical example is this note that I received from the Sahuarita PD:

"Thank-you for your prompt response regarding the victim with 'witch' carved in her chest. After further investigation, we believe the injuries were self inflicted and the incident was fabricated. Thank-you for your information."[1]

However, as you might have guessed, many people are less than pleased by my work. I get hate mail from fanatics on a regular basis. Much of it is fairly innocuous. Most of it is badly written, with appalling spelling and worse grammar. A typical example is this one from "Schmidt", which he had CCed to a host of other people:

"Before its too late make peace with GOD, and make sure the ones you love do also. Its the greatest pleasure you can ever have and it lasts foever [sic]. Accept him. Repent. Get baptized. See you in heaven."[2]

Many hate e-mails are very short. I got this sarcastic one from Brian Herman at Ministryoflies.com:

In 2004 I wrote a Witch Hunts article on the exposingsatanism.org web site. I called it Exposing Satanism and Democrats. The people from exposingsatanism.org attempted to retaliate, writing to me 16 Aug 2004 with the following demand:

"You are in violation of copyright laws by stealing images and text. Please take the images and all other text down that are property of Exposing Satanism. The page in question is as follows: http://www.witchvox.com/whs/kerr_esad3.html If you would have asked for permission, I would have let you use whatever you wanted. But seeing how you did not please remove the material."[4]

This was followed the same day by an e-mail from Jon Watkins of exposingsatanism.org, with the caption "Site Functionality I: Copy Write Infringement [sic]."stating:

"You are in violation of copy write laws by stealing images and text. Please take the images and all other text down that are property of Exposing Satanism. The pages in question is as follows: http://www.witchvox.com/whs/kerr_esad3.html If you would have asked for permission, I would have let you use whatever you wanted. But seeing how you did not please remove the material."[5]

I replied to Jon the same day with the following note:

I would strongly suggest that you go and study copyright law. I'm not violating it in the article that you refer to.

Firstly, ALL of the images on your sight were borrowed by you and Bissell from other sources, many of which borrowed them from sources themselves. Some of them are ancient symbols that have been in circulation for centuries. I guarantee that you didn't invent ANY of those symbols, therefore you can't possibly have any of them registered as trademarks. One of the symbols at the top of your page is the symbol of the Church of Satan. I highly doubt that they'd approve of your use of it and I wonder if you asked their permission to use it?

Secondly I didn't "steal" any of your text. I have carefully footnoted each of the quotes that I used as originating in your web site in my commentary, so my use certainly doesn't constitute plagiarism. If you don't like what people have to say about your shoddy research, poor grammar and worse spelling, then perhaps you should give your words more thought before you broadcast them to the world.

Some of the hate mail that I receive is very angry. Typically these people can’t think of anything to say, so they fall back on the old approach which I call the "Oh yeah? Well you’re stupid" school of writing. One reader, whose very descriptive e-mail handle is "kookyloon", is a typical example. "Kookyloon" wrote: "Oh Please, how can anyone believe a word that a satanist says, after all, satan is the father of all lies!! say what you will, but I will never believe you! you should know, that in the end lucifer is going to screw you, so good luck! whatever!"[6]

Another classification of hate mail that I receive is the "Witches-must-die-but-we’re-praying-for-you" type that I’ve become so used to over the years. One typical example of this genre that I received in May of 2005 reads:

"The word of God says Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Exodus 22:18 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. Exodus 22:19 A man or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death:they shall stone them with stones:their blood shall be upon them.Leviticus 20:27 Dear Lord, Your word said in Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Lord, knowing your word is absolutely true we at this point by asking now or ever have been associated with any spells from this person or persons of this wicca school that their spells now and forever be broken In Jesus name. We loose ministering angels to minister day and night to see these souls saved we thank you Lord for you said your word will not return void. Please note our prayers will always be with you."[7]

The same day that I got that one I got an E-mail with the caption "wisdom" from Gary Sims in reaction to my Berit Kjos article. This is an example of the "well-you’re-right-but-you’re-still-a-dangerous-cult-member" school of e-mail. Gary wrote to tell me that my "responses" [8] (I’d never written to him before, so I presume he meant my articles) "were full of wisdom"[9] and that he agreed with my insight. Yet then he went on to complain that the "symbols and symbolisms of the past being discussed here"[10] were being used "to influence the less knowing by training in a subliminal way a cognitive reframing of the mind, bending each to believe in their sublime meaning, with a true subversion. This truth is especially found in the young who are easily misdirected into believing that these symbols have historical merit. With innocence and curiosity they embrace these emblems, beliefs and teachings behind them as an eventual truth and are mislead to the way of the occult through the ‘New Age’ medium of thinking. With this subversion, the forces behind the invention and intention of these myths and symbols have gained a strong foothold in their battle to deceive man. These forces are not the Christians who believe in what they teach concerning these symbols, weather right or wrong in their understanding of them, their goal is to show that real salvation of man is in the simple belief in Jesus the Christ, son of the true and living God. The true portrayal of the symbols and the symbolism regardless of its definition, is the work of the dark forces of Satan who is the great deceiver intent in keeping man from his God. This goal also includes you, a man of worldly wisdom. Will you let your wisdom make you the greater fool?"[11]

Isn’t it interesting how such people believe that wisdom can lead to stupidity? Isn’t it interesting how such people will concede that you are right and still cling to deceptions?

Some of the e-mail that I get is from people who either claim to be survivors of Satanism or who are obviously former Pagans who have become fundamentalist Christians. One such letter came to me from Diana Haley, who reports that she used to be listed on Witchvox as "Arazell from Poplar Bluff."[12] She’d read my Exposing Satanism and Democrats article and was upset about my comments regarding urban legends. She admits that she did not know the people in my article. She then says that she was "once a witch"[13] and that she had been "delivered from the occult world."[14] She claimed that her husband and children had suffered because of her "dealings with the demons and evil witches call into play"[15] and goes on to say that "demons are real and they are evil."[16] Haley claims that her "family was harmed because of [her] involvement in the craft", though she doesn’t give details of what she means by this. She defends her position by saying that she "wasn't a dabbler as you might assume. I studied Wicca for years before I ever practiced." She then concludes by saying: "One day you will have to stand before God and answer to him why you have chosen to not believe in Him. What will you say? If you chose to not be with God now, at the time of death God will honor your choice and you will be cast away from Him. The after life without God will be lonely and dark. An eternity with no light and no love. Is that really how you want to spend it?"[17]

I’m going to spend it being a Wiccan, thanks. I don’t know what kind of Wicca Diana thinks she studied (she doesn’t identify the tradition, assuming there was one): Wicca doesn’t involve the invocation of demons.

Some people who write seem confused about what it is I do. You wonder if they’ve actually read any of the Witch Hunts articles. One person recently wrote:

"Dear Mr. Cuhulain: Late last fall the construction of a 35 foot in diameter labyrinth was completed on the grounds of the city of Petoskey's public Library. Try as I might I was not able to force the city of Petoskey to amend their decision. The library has now posted a schedule of dates whereby a 30 minute labyrinth use demonstration will be preformed. Do you have any suggestion as to how I can get this new age temple moved off public property ? Thanks Steve."[18]

Well, Steve, I applaud the city of Petoskey for constructing that labyrinth, demonstrating their commitment to cultural diversity. Incidentally, Steve, labyrinths can be found in a lot of old churches.

One of the communities most profoundly affected by all of this Satanic nonsense is the people struggling with mental illness. I can illustrate this with an e-mail that I got in April 2005, from a woman whom I will call Josie. Josie sent me a lengthy e-mail with the caption "Witchcraft is bull-shit?" "Do you think my story is a load of bull-shit, that represents witchcraft as being someone's excuse for religion?" [19] Josie began, "I've just read your bad review of Pastor Jonas Clark, regarding witchcraft. Your belittling words mean nothing to someone who has lived the following life."[20]

Josie then goes on at length to describe how her mother was taken to Fiji 12 years ago by her boyfriend. She believed that this man had taken her mother to a "Witchcraft ceremony."[21] 3 years later, as Josie was staying with her mother and her Fijian boyfriend, One poignant letter from Australia illustrates this rather well. Josie was involved in a car accident which resulted in Josie’s boyfriend being taken to hospital in a coma. Josie reports that this resulted in her being depressed, which is hardly surprising given the circumstances. Josie then says that she turned to meditation for relief. Josie reports that when she meditated an "invisible ball of matter"[22] entered her neck, which she at first believed to be an angel.

But then Josie reports: "For some reason, I began praising it, as if it were a God or an angel. I decided it was an angel, and from where, I do not know, came the thought that it was here to save my mother. With that in mind, I ran upstairs to see if my mother was OK. I mean what could be wrong with my mother? As she turned around to answer my call, there it was, staring back at me. Dark glowing black pupils that put terror into my sole immediately. I just stared on, to see the face my mother once owned was stiff, contorted and evil in presence. It then spoke, and from my mothers mouth came words unlike hers, with a voice that was lower pitched and absent of any of my mothers melody (sad or happy). The heart. Oh my God. Her heart had simply vanished. Then it moved! It moved like a semi trailer across the floor, stiff and as if it did not know how to control those parts of the body yet. I think that is then that I went into shock, and my walk in the valley of the dead began."[23]

Josie describes the next three months of her life as "a psychotic hell."[24] Interesting that she should chose the term "psychotic" to describe it, as she goes on to claim that "TV's, radio's, people's conversation everywhere, were all sabotaged with evil. I slowly fell from the earth I knew, quitting my job, and living in the room at the Indian/Fijians mans house, never leaving it. I could only listen to non-vocal music on the radio, and slowly, I simply went crazy. I tried to read the bible for comfort, only to see each word on its pages seethe with hatred and evil doings against me."[25]

Josie tells me that she decided to commit suicide to end this psychosis. In fact it sounds like she was planning a murder suicide, as she told me that "I believed that if I did, my mother would not be able to live without me, and would break free from the evil presence that was binding her, so as she would commit suicide also, and together we would be saved by God."[26] Josie cuts her arm in a suicidal gesture, and reported that "extremely oddly, the Indian/Fijian man and his father were staring back at me from outside my window, as the blood ran down my arm. They looked in on me, cunningly achieved. I hate them."[27] The way that she words this makes it sound like this is another psychotic delusion. "From that day on, " Josie claims, "the psychotic bull-shit slowly ceased, and all I was left with, was a demon/spirit trying to work my Mothers carcass to its advantage. My friends, family and everyone, had all fallen off the earth with me, and my faith in any of them to be able to help the situation was nil. Who would believe such a fantasised [sic] story?"[28]

Josie reports that she is still troubled by this "sprinkly thing... that went into the back of my neck."[29] She describes how she feels it in her body, how she believes that people can receive her thoughts, describes how "every single site and sound was contorted to reveal pornography."[30] She tells how she tried to fight against it, and eventually admits that she was "treated psychiatrically, for 6 of these years"[31] but that how she did not believe that the medications and counseling were effective. She decided that "these ill-fated occurrences are spiritually based"[32] and that "As of 2-months, me and the doctors have decided to give the tablets the flick, and to pursue Christianity [sic]."[33] She describes how people and priests pray for her, demanding the demons be exorcised. "Priests and the like, " Josie continues, "they expect my face to contort and a demon to come out. So do I. But this never happens. My heart breaks each time, as I am numbed at the thought of my mother never being saved. My hopes have been fading as the years add on to each other. My faith in God, in Jesus as our Saviour are tainted, with why can't my mother and I be saved?"[34] Josie goes on to say that she suspects that the reason this Christian intervention isn’t working is because her faith in God isn’t strong enough. Influenced by her Christian friends she, believes that "Sometimes I feel like it is the will of the witchcraft to have me chase this, just so that I have no home to live in, no friends, no family, nothing to call mine, while I pray for something that it knows will never happen. Do I need a witchdoctor instead? Try living this for 8-years and maybe you will begin wonder how powerful witchcraft can be... Hopefully you will have something to say."[35]

I do have something to say. One in a hundred people has schizophrenia, but you’d never know it as most of them are successfully treated and live unremarkable lives. Many of them have experienced the sort of symptoms that Josie reports. Sometimes it takes a while to come up with the right combination of treatments, but the prognosis for treatment is good if people intervene in a timely and compassionate fashion. I’ve discovered over the years that there are some people out there who’d rather assume that the correct intervention in such cases should be what they’d describe as Christian counseling, rather than psychiatric intervention. Such ill advised intervention often delays or even prevents effective treatment, making the possible outcome poor indeed. Josie is obviously living in a terrifying world of delusions inducing depression to the point of suicide. Josie can see that this Christian intervention isn’t working, but rather than blaming this intervention they’ve managed to make her believe that it is her lack of faith that is at fault. Hopefully Josie, with a little support, can pry herself away from these fanatics preying upon her and get back into treatment with qualified medical professionals. It isn’t something to be ashamed of, Josie, despite the guilt trip these people are laying on you about not being devout. It is simply an illness, and one that we have solutions for. If only we had solutions for these fanatics that are taking advantage of you.

Footnotes: [1] 17 August 2004. E-mail to the author from Sgt. Marc Zuyus, Sahuarita Police Department (SgtMarcZuyus@aol.com)[2] 13 May 2005. E-mail address of sender blocked.[3] 17 May 2005. brian@ministryoflies.com[4] 16 April 2004. E-mail to the author from admin@exposingsatanism.org[5] 16 April 2004. E-mail to the author from Jon Watkins at admin@exposingsatanism.org[6] 29 May 2004. E-mail to the author from kookyloon@msn.com[7] 7 May 2005. E-mail to the author from gospel_4_all@yahoo.com[8] 7 May 2005. E-mail to the author from Gary Sims (garyesims@msn.com).[9] Ibid.[10] Ibid.[11] Ibid.[12] 18 May 2005. E-mail to the author from Diana Haley (dhaley@mycitycable.com).[13] Ibid.[14] Ibid.[15] Ibid.[16] Ibid.[17] Ibid.[18] 17 May 2005. E-mail to the author from Steve Redder. realpolitik@myway.com[19] 14 April 2005. E-mail to the author from a woman in Australia. Name changed to protect her privacy.[20] Ibid.[21] Ibid.[22] Ibid.[23] Ibid.[24] Ibid.[25] Ibid.[26] Ibid.[27] Ibid.[28] Ibid.[29] Ibid.[30] Ibid.[31] Ibid.[32] Ibid.[33] Ibid.[34] Ibid.[35] Ibid.

ABOUT... Kerr Cuhulain

Location: Surrey, British ColumbiaWebsite: http://www.officersofavalon.comBio: Kerr Cuhulain the author of this article, is known to the mundane world as Detective Constable Charles Ennis. Ennis, a former child abuse investigator, is the author of several articles on child abuse investigation that appeared in Law & Order Magazine. Better known to the Pagan community by his Wiccan name, Kerr Cuhulain, Ennis was the first Wiccan police officer to go public about his beliefs 28 years ago. Kerr is now the Preceptor General of Officers of Avalon. Kerr went on to write four books: The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca (Horned Owl Publishing), Wiccan Warrior and Full Contact Magick: A Book of Shadows for the Wiccan Warrior. (Llewellyn Publications), as well as a book based on this series: Witch Hunts: Out of the Broom Closet (Spiral Publishing).

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